66% Decide in Just a Half Hour Whether They Will See Other Person Again; 25% of Respondents Have Met Someone They Were Interested in Dating on an Airplane
SAN DIEGO, CA (September 8, 2009) – Recently-polled readers of American Way, the in flight magazine of American Airlines say that when on a first date, 66% of them will decide in just a half hour whether they will see the other person again. Sixteen percent say they make the decision in the first five minutes, and another five percent of total respondents know “immediately.”
The survey, conducted jointly by the magazine and specialty dating service It’s Just Lunch, found that 22% of the respondents would give the other person a bit more time - one hour, total. Only 13% of respondents would give their date more than one hour to make the cut for the second date.
Particularly speedy was the 21-39 year old sub-set of survey-takers, a full 20% of whom need only 5 minutes. The 40-49 year olds are slightly more patient, with 33% allowing their dates more than one hour to make a second date-worthy first impression. Keeping things balanced, however, was the fact that the men and women seemed to take about the same amount of time to size each other up.
It’s Just Lunch President, Irene LaCota, finds these results interesting, but not surprising. “Especially in today’s society, we’re so used to both demanding and getting instant information, that we’ve become a bit impatient and closed off, sometimes to our own detriment,” she said.
What factors are these singles taking into consideration during that time period, which might sway them in one direction or another? The majority of respondents - 54% - cited “No physical attraction.” “Lack of personality” was selected by 48% of respondents; “Boring conversation” by 46%; “No shared interests” by 39%; and “Different outlook on life” by 38%.
Once they had made it to the second date, respondents varied on how many additional dates they would need before they could tell if the other was “right” for them. For the majority of respondents, 62%, that determination was made in 2-4 dates. 16% knew after only one date. Thirteen percent gave it 5-7 dates; 3% 8-10 dates; and for 6% it took more than 10 dates. Interestingly, the number of people who needed “more than 10 dates” increased steadily as respondents got older, ranging from 4% for the 21-29 year olds to 15% of the respondents who were over 60.
A date’s income – a topic that It’s Just Lunch doesn’t feel should be a factor before a first date – was, for the purposes of this survey, “Somewhat important” to 56% of respondents. Fourteen percent of total respondents said it was “Very important” and only 16% considered it “Not important at all.” Interestingly, a full 76% of women said that income was “somewhat” to “very” important, as compared to only 42% of men.
Additional findings from the
- On average, how many dates do you go on per year? The majority, 37% of respondents reported going on 1-5 dates annually. Twenty-three percent went on 6-10, 19% on 11-25, and 9% on over 25 dates per year. Twelve percent of respondents reported that they did not date at all.
- How do you typically meet dates? When asked by IJL and American Wayhow they typically meet dates, only 14% of respondents are meeting at a restaurant or bar. A full 21% met through a dating service, compared to the 27% who met online. Other reported ways of meeting included through a friend or family member (38%), at work or through colleagues (20%), and through a shared hobby (15%).
- Which statement sums up your dating beliefs most accurately? When asked by American Way and It’s Just Lunch about their dating beliefs, 81% felt there were many potential matches they could be happy with. Nineteen percent, on the other hand, reported “there is one true love for each person in the world.”
- What is the most difficult thing about dating? Fifty-two percent of passengers responding to the It’s Just Lunch/American Way poll said the most difficult thing about dating was meeting a person they were compatible with. Thirty-six percent cited meeting other singles as their challenge. Nine percent reported that it was simply hard to find time in their schedule.
Since this survey was taken by passengers of American Airlines, 25% of respondents replied that they had met someone they might be interested in dating on an airplane.
LaCota summed up the survey this way: “When it comes to dating, we may all want to try to slow things down, relax some of our rules, and give people a bit of a chance before we come to a final conclusion about them. Life has a way of pleasantly surprising you if you are patient.”
About the Survey
The It’s Just Lunch/American Waymagazine survey of 2,772 respondents was conducted online, from May 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009.
About It’s Just Lunch
It's Just Lunch is a specialized dating service for busy singles. IJL’s first date specialists save busy singles from the frustration of having to search through seas of online profiles, or play endless e-mail tag. The company, which has arranged more than two million first dates in the past 18 years, handles everything in a personalized and efficient manner – from finding the right matches to making all the arrangements for a date, at a nice location for lunch, brunch or after-work drinks. It's Just Lunch was founded in 1991 and has grown to service over 150 cities within the
About American Way magazine
